Short answer
A TN support letter for a management consultant is written by the U.S. employer and should cover the TN profession, the professional activities, the length of stay, your credentials and your pay. For this category it should also describe the consulting engagement concretely: who you’ll advise, on what, and for how long. Source: 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3), USCIS.
TN management consultant requirements for the letter
The TN list entry for Management Consultant reads: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement.” (8 CFR 214.6(c))
So the letter should name the route you actually use: a degree, or five years of experience as a management consultant or in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement. Like every TN letter, it should also cover the professional activities, the length of stay and the pay arrangements (8 CFR 214.6(d)(3)).
Salaried consultants and the “supernumerary” rule
Long-standing CBP and State Department guidance distinguishes between two situations:
- You’re employed by a consulting firm that serves outside clients. This is the conventional setup for the category.
- You’re a salaried employee of the business you’re advising. Guidance has treated this as acceptable only in a supernumerary position: an extra, temporary role rather than a regular, permanent staff job.
TNPath asks which describes you and flags the second for independent review. Separately, TN requires a U.S. employer or entity. You can’t be self-employed in the U.S. on TN status. See the management consultant guide for more.
Annotated sample letter for a management consultant
Fictional example. Every name, company, address, date and salary below is invented to show the structure. Your letter must describe your real job, confirmed by your employer.
January 15, 2027
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Re: Request for TN classification for Jordan Casey Example, citizen of Canada
Profession: Management Consultant (USMCA, Chapter 16, Annex 16-A, Appendix 2)
Position: Senior Consultant
Requested period: Three years, February 1, 2027 through January 31, 2030
Dear Officer:
Example Advisory Group LLC (the “Company”) respectfully requests that Jordan Casey Example, a citizen of Canada, be admitted to the United States in TN status under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to work for the Company as a Management Consultant in the full-time position of Senior Consultant.
About the Company. Example Advisory Group is a management consulting firm that advises mid-sized manufacturers on operations and strategy. The Company is located at 200 Sample Street, Floor 9, Chicago, IL 60601.
The engagement. Ms. Example will advise the operations leadership of the Company’s manufacturing clients on plant-level process redesign, delivering written assessments and implementation plans over the course of a defined engagement.
The position. As Senior Consultant, Ms. Example will perform professional management consulting work, reporting to the Company’s Engagement Director. The position is based in Chicago, IL. Ms. Example’s principal duties will include:
- Assess client operations and identify improvement opportunities.
- Analyze business processes and benchmark them against industry practice.
- Develop recommendations and present findings to senior management.
- Advise on organizational structure, strategy and change initiatives.
- Design implementation plans for approved recommendations.
The TN list of professions (Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A of the USMCA, set out in 8 CFR 214.6(c)) states the minimum requirement for Management Consultant as: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement.”
Ms. Example’s qualifications. Ms. Example holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance (Queen's University, Canada, 2015).
Length of stay. This is a temporary position. The Company anticipates requiring Ms. Example’s services for a period of three (3) years, beginning on or about February 1, 2027 and ending on January 31, 2030.
Remuneration. Ms. Example will be employed full-time, working 40 hours per week, at an annual base salary of US$125,000, paid through the Company’s U.S. payroll. Ms. Example will also be eligible for the Company’s standard employee benefits.
We respectfully request that Ms. Example be admitted in TN status as a Management Consultant for the period stated above. Please contact me at [email protected] if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
Morgan Sample
Managing Director
Example Advisory Group LLC
What each numbered part is doing
- The Re: block names the applicant, “citizen of Canada”, the TN profession exactly as listed (“Management Consultant”), the job title and the requested dates.
- The request connects the employer, the applicant, the TN profession and the position.
- About the Company shows the employer is a consulting firm that serves outside clients, the conventional setup for this category.
- The engagement says who will be advised, on what, what will be delivered, and that the work is for a defined period.
- The position and duties describe advisory work: assessment, analysis, recommendations and implementation plans, not running a department.
- The minimum requirement quotes the list entry word for word, including the experience alternative.
- Qualifications state the route the applicant actually uses, matching their documents.
- Length of stay says the work is temporary and gives dates.
- Remuneration states pay, hours and the U.S. payroll.
This sample was generated by the same engine that builds TNPath letters, from fictional answers. It shows the degree route with a consulting-firm employer. On the experience route, the qualifications paragraph names the years of experience instead.
Common management consultant letter mistakes
- “Will provide consulting services” and nothing more. Vague engagement language invites questions. Say who is advised, on what problem, and what will be delivered.
- Duties that describe running the business. Day-to-day management, supervising staff, hiring and firing, or managing a department read as an in-house management job, not advisory consulting.
- A permanent staff role with a consulting title. If you’re a salaried employee of the business you’ll advise, read the supernumerary point above and consider an independent review.
- Self-employment. TN requires a U.S. employer or entity; you can’t be self-employed in the U.S. on TN status.
- An experience route without evidence. If you rely on five years of experience, bring letters from past employers or clients that show it.
Never add or inflate duties to fit a category. Every line should be something your employer will confirm and you can describe in your own words at the border.
Build your own management consultant letter
Includes a dedicated engagement paragraph and flags for in-house management wording. Preview free; $99 USD to download.
Common questions
What are the TN management consultant requirements?
The TN list entry requires a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or equivalent professional experience established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years as a management consultant, or five years in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement. TNPath doesn’t assess whether particular evidence is sufficient; the officer decides.
What should a management consultant support letter include?
The profession, the professional activities with a summary of duties, the length of stay, your credentials and the pay arrangements, as 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3) describes, plus a concrete description of the consulting engagement.
Can I use this letter if I’m a salaried employee of the company I’ll advise?
Guidance has treated salaried consultants of the client company as acceptable only in supernumerary (extra, temporary) positions. A standard permanent staff job labelled “consultant” draws scrutiny. Consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer.
Can an independent consultant use TN?
TN requires a U.S. employer or entity, and you can’t be self-employed in the U.S. on TN status. Contract arrangements with a U.S. entity raise their own questions; get independent advice.
Will TNPath tell me whether I qualify?
No. TNPath is a document-assembly tool. It organizes the facts you provide into templates and gives general information. It doesn’t make eligibility determinations or recommend case-specific strategy. Only U.S. Customs and Border Protection decides whether to admit you.
Sources
- eCFR: 8 CFR 214.6 (TN list and documentation)
- USCIS: TN USMCA Professionals
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part P
Last updated October 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with official sources before you travel.